


Look After Yourself

by AliceMayWrite



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Ann is Calm, Ben Is Stressed, F/M, Fainting, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Leslie is stubborn, Ron is.... Ron, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:21:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27737563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMayWrite/pseuds/AliceMayWrite
Summary: Ben knows Leslie is sick, but Leslie is too stubborn to go home.
Relationships: Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins, Leslie Knope & Ben Wyatt, Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Comments: 30
Kudos: 27





	1. In Work

**Author's Note:**

> I think this might have more than one chapter, haven't quite decided yet. Also I wrote this at 7am because I couldn't sleep so I'm sorry if it makes no sense haha

Ben had spent the better part of four hours, when he awoke to her coughing and boiling alive next to him, trying to convince Leslie that she was sick. And it wasn’t working. Or rather, he _knew_ Leslie knew she was sick- she would have to be stupid to think otherwise, but she _insisted_ on going into work. He had tried to stop her, but it got to a point where he would feel like a terrible person if he locked her in the house- she was a free-thinking person after all- by god, she had her own mind- and he didn’t want her to feel like he was ordering her around. All he could do was make sure she was safe and _maybe_ drinking more than one glass of water a day?   
  
They had run into Ann on the way in, who immediately caught on, but Leslie insisted she was just tired. Ann’s skeptical eye contact with Ben as they walked away only enforced Ben’s worries even more. Ann shouted after them asking for Leslie to call her at lunchtime, which she said she would.  
“It’s a busy day today,” she told Ben as he walked her to her office. “Just got to knuckle down.”  
“Or you could… take it easy?”  
“No way Ben." She gave him a quick kiss. "Okay, I love you!”  
Ben sighed. “I love you too. Very much.”

***

Ben had had to put out a few fires of his own, so by the time he saw Leslie at lunchtime, she had gotten much worse. Her face was practically grey, and he could see beads of sweat on her forehead. His face softened, and he moved over to put his hands on her shoulders.

“Leslie, you need to go home. This is getting ridiculous.”  
“No, Ben!” Leslie begged. “It’s barely a cold, it’s- it’s a sniffle! My head _barely_ feels like it’s filled with cotton wool.”  
Ben gave her a look, and Leslie winced, trying to ignore how her head was spinning. Okay, no, it was _really_ spinning.  
“Leslie, you need to stop doing this. Why can’t you just _know_ when you need to stay off? The government can last one day without you, you know. And it’s really amazing that you’re so dedicated-”  
“Ben-”  
“No, let me finish. It’s amazing you’re dedicated to your job, but you need to know when to look after yourself.”  
Leslie was leaning with one arm on her desk. “Ben.”  
“I just want you to get some rest, is that too much to-”  
Leslie staggered, and Ben realised what was happening with a jolt.  
“Shit, okay, okay, I’m sorry-” he said quickly, moving to sit them both down on the desk. He guided Leslie’s head onto his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said again, but he wasn’t sure she could hear him.

They sat there for a while, and Ben didn’t know what to do. She was slack against him, and he was trying not to panic. After a second, he realised that he could reach Leslie’s phone, so quickly hit the second speed dial.  
“Hey Les-” Ann started.  
“Ann, it’s me. You need to come to Leslie’s office, she’s not well.”  
“I knew it!” Ann said quickly, and he heard scrabbling down her end of the line. “I’m coming.”  
“Okay, come quickly, she’s passed out.”  
“Shit, okay, don’t panic. I’ll be there now.”  
Ben hung up the phone and _really tried_ not to panic. He looked down at Leslie, who was still against him. He could feel how warm she was from here. He just wished she would take care of herself, and they could avoid situations like this. He loved her so much, and he hated seeing her in trouble.

It was only a few minutes before Ann burst in, and Ben had never been more relieved to see a person in his life.  
“I feel so bad,” he started, as Ann moved around to check on Leslie, her hands on her face. “She was trying to tell me she was going to pass out, but I was too busy telling her off for coming into work.”  
“Well,” Ann said slowly. “If she’d have listened to you in the first place, we wouldn’t be here.”  
“True,” Ben said, looking back at Leslie. “Is she okay?”  
“She’s got a bad fever.”  
“I know,” Ben replied, worry evident in his voice.  
“Hey, Leslie?” Ann said gently, pushing Leslie’s hair away from her face. “I’m here. Can you wake up for us?”

***

Leslie had felt her vision tunneling but had really wanted to listen to Ben. He had been telling her off- now, she realised, for a good reason- but her body had suggested otherwise. She hadn’t even properly managed to get his attention before she was falling, but then he had caught her.  
The last thing she remembered was leaning against his shoulder, and then it went black.

The next thing she remembered was a soft voice asking her to wake up.  
So she did, her face scrunching as she blinked awake. She could feel herself leaning on her husband, and it made her feel so much safer.  
“I’m awake,” she mumbled groggily, opening her eyes to see Ann’s worried face inches away from hers.  
“Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?” Ann asked her.  
“Like shit,” Leslie groaned. “I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be sorry,” Ben told her tenderly. “It’s okay.”  
“No it isn’t,” she replied, her voice breaking. “I shouldn’t have come in, I feel terrible!”  
“I know,” Ben told her. “I’m right here, honey.”  
“Do you think you can sit up?” Ann asked her. “You need to drink.”  
Leslie nodded, and so Ben and Ann guided her into a seated position. Ben could tell she still looked ashen and was glad when Ann looped her arm around Leslie’s back, keeping her in place, while he grabbed her water. She drank for a while, and when she was finished, she leaned into Ann.

“I’m sorry you guys,” she whispered.  
“It’s okay, honey. We just wish you would look after yourself,” Ben said. “I was trying to say that before you- y’know.”  
Leslie’s face crumpled. “I just didn’t want to miss work,” she said, her voice breaking.  
Ann frowned. “Hey, no, it’s okay. You’re safe now. But this can’t happen again, yeah?”  
“Yeah,” Leslie agreed. “I feel like ass, I want to go home. Lesson learned.”  
“Do you still feel dizzy, or can you sit up for me?” Ann asked, aware of how heavily Leslie was leaning into her. Leslie told her she could sit up, so Ben helped her do so. Leslie gave them a thumbs up.  
“Okay, I’m okay.” She looked at Ben. “I’m sorry.”  
Ben smiled at her. “It’s okay.”  
“You must have been worried.”  
“We both were,” Ben said, glancing at Ann. “But it’s because we love you and we don’t want to see you hurt. You just need to look after yourself.”  
“Yeah,” Ann echoed. “If I was sick, you would have ordered me to go home. It goes both ways.”  
Leslie nodded. “Point taken. Can we go home now?”  
Ben chuckled. “Of course.”  
Leslie stood, and Ann pulled her in for a hug. “I’ll come round later, okay?”  
Leslie smiled. “Sounds great.”  
She leaned into Ben as they left the office, and Ann watched them go, a sad smile on her face.


	2. Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ben get home. Ben tries to help Leslie feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the cute comments, it means so much!! <3

Leslie seemed to recover a little when they left City Hall, but by the time they got to the car, she was looking pale again. Ben opened the car door for her and she clambered in, groaning.  
When Ben got in the car, she was already leaning against the window with her eyes shut.  
“Are you okay honey?” Ben asked her, feeling that jolt of worry again.  
“Yep,” Leslie replied, enunciating the p with a pop of her lips. “Just need to lie here and slowly die and I’ll be good.”  
Ben reached over and squeezed her hand. “I was going to stop off at the store and get you some stuff but would you rather we just go straight home?”  
Leslie cracked one eye open. “Whipped cream?”  
“Of course.”  
She hummed, mulling it over. “We can stop. I’ll pause my dying until we get home.”  
Ben chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Alright.”

***

When they got home, Leslie shuffled over to the couch and dropped onto it like a sack of potatoes. Ben hung up her coat and put her bag on the table, before moving over to the kitchen to make her a drink. He had taken the rest of the day off work. It had been too scary before and he didn’t want to leave her unattended. She had actually _admitted_ to feeling ill, which meant she felt _really_ bad.  
Leslie never admitted to feeling sick, not ever.  
As he mulled this over, out of the corner of his eye he saw her stand up and start struggling to unbutton her top button of her shirt. He put down the glass and hurried over, helping her shed her suit jacket.  
“I’m too warm,” she complained.  
“I know,” Ben told her. “You’ve got a fever, remember?”  
She grimaced. “Oh yeah.”  
“How about you get changed and I’ll finish off your drink?”  
“Alright,” she replied. “But that drink better come with waffles.”

When Leslie returned, she was in light pyjamas. She was shivering, but Ben knew she was hot at the same time. He had had his fair share of experiences with sickness- when he was a child, his father didn’t really have much to do with him when he was sick, but his mother had always been there with some love and a bowl of soup.  
“I’ll wrap the blanket around you, okay?” he asked her. “Just to keep you warm.”  
“Ben!” Leslie complained. “I’m boiling!”  
“I know, but that might change.” He watched her settle onto the couch again, and handed her a glass of water, which she drank deeply from. “Can we… talk about before?” he asked her.  
Leslie looked up at him. “I’m sorry Ben, really.”  
“I know you are. You don’t usually… admit defeat,” Ben said carefully.  
“I do if it’s to you,” she replied. “You were right, I should have stayed at home. I just really like working.”  
“I know you do,” he told her, before moving her hair away and kissing her forehead again. She was still warm. “Do you need anything? Something cold for your head?”  
Leslie shook her head. “I just need to sleep.”  
Again, words he never expected Leslie to say. “Okay,” he replied. “I’ll be here.”  
Leslie lay down on the couch, putting her head on a pillow on Ben’s lap. She was out like a light, and Ben felt like he could breathe again. She had really scared him, but hopefully she would improve soon.

***

Leslie woke herself up and the sudden movement made her cry out in pain. Her dreams had been confusing and surreal, and they had scared her. She didn’t know if it was due to her jolting awake, but now she felt ten times worse.  
But of course, Ben was there- she forgot that she was in his lap. He helped her sit up before he was wrapping his arms around her and holding her, shushing her gently.  
“Hey, hey. You’re okay. It was just a nightmare.”  
“Ben,” she whispered, letting out a soft sob.  
“I know, I know.”  
“Not to be overdramatic, but _everything hurts and I’m dying_.”  
Ben only chuckled a little, and she knew he was worried then. He handed her the water, and she drank deeply. When she was done, he was holding her again, and he could feel the heat emanating from her body.  
“You need to try and get back to sleep, okay?”  
“I can’t,” she told him.  
“Okay,” he murmured. “I’ll go and get you some ice for your head, okay? And some aspirin.”

She sat up slowly, and he stood carefully, leaving her alone on the couch only for a minute. She could feel her head spinning again, and just generally felt like crap.  
The last time that had happened had been when the flu hit Pawnee. Leslie didn’t know how she had managed to get through the Commerce meeting. _With great difficulty_ would be the answer. Right now, she couldn’t imagine doing anything other than lying on the couch.  
Why had she gone into work? She was so stupid sometimes. She knew that Ben and Ann were playing down how annoyed they were because she was sick. She bet they were really angry.  
As they should be.  
She didn’t realise she was crying until Ben returned and she was trying to hide it. Which was stupid, because he immediately noticed and put down the aspirin and ice pack, kneeling next to her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her patiently.  
“I’m an idiot,” she moaned. “You were trying to tell me not to come into work but I did it anyway.”  
Ben hesitated. “You’re not an idiot. You just get very focused. And that’s an amazing quality to have.”  
“Yeah but not when I feel like this!” She groaned in irritation, and Ben got the aspirin and held it out to her with her water silently. She took it and groaned again. “You’re so good to me Ben.”  
“Well… we’re married,” Ben said slowly, a little confused. “If I was sick you’d be there for me. Like in Partridge?”  
“But _you_ don’t have a problem with stopping work.”  
“No…” Ben struggled with how to respond. If Ann was here, she would know exactly what to say. Ben was too worried about her to think of a good response. Ann was very logical.  
“Can I lie down on you again?” Leslie asked in a soft voice, and Ben’s heart clenched. _That_ he could help with.  
“Of course you can.”  
He sat down on the sofa and she lay on him, wrapping the blanket around herself. He put the ice on her head. It was wrapped in a fluffy towel, so it wasn’t uncomfortable for her, and she hummed at the contact.  
“Just try and get some more sleep,” he whispered.  
“Alright, but my body probably won’t allow it.”  
She was asleep in five minutes, and Ben let out a sigh of relief.

***

**Do you guys need me to get anything? I’m leaving work now. (Sent: 16:58)**

**No, we’re good, but thanks. (Sent: 16:59)  
This is a bit awkward, but can you hurry? Leslie is asleep on me and I really need to go to the bathroom. (Sent 16:59)**

**Sure thing, Wyatt. (Sent: 17:00)**

**Thank the lord. Door is unlocked. (Sent: 17:00)**

Ann walked up to the house and tried the door handle. It opened straight away, and she hurried inside. Leslie was asleep on Ben’s lap- Ben who had been slumped into the couch, but perked up when she arrived.  
“Thank god. Can you help me move her so I can-”  
Ann tried not to laugh. “Yeah, of course.”  
She lifted Leslie gently so Ben could wriggle free, and then sat down herself, letting Leslie back onto her lap.  
Ben thanked her before sprinting off to the bathroom. Ann took a second to laugh at him before checking Leslie’s fever. It had gone down, luckily, but she was still warm. Leslie sighed softly in her sleep, but was otherwise unaware.

When Ben returned, he looked a lot less uncomfortable, and slipped into the seat next to the couch. Ann saw how he looked at Leslie, and it made her own heart fill up. He really loved her.  
He tore his eyes away from her to look at Ann. “It’s been sort of rough today.”  
“Yeah?” Ann asked sympathetically, her hand moving to stroke Leslie’s hair.  
“Yeah. She had a nightmare and then she was crying because she came into work. And she just feels terrible.”  
“Oh no,” Ann said mournfully. “Well, I’m sure you did everything right. You’re like a Leslie-whisperer.”  
“So are you,” Ben replied with a chuckle, before sighing. “It’s a fine art to perfect. I didn’t feel like I hit the mark today, I didn’t know what to say.”  
“You will have done it right,” Ann told him with a smile.  
Ben smiled back at her. “Thanks, Ann. Do you want a drink?” He paused. “Of tea of something. Or alcohol, if you want. I mean, it _is_ Friday. But I was thinking tea.”  
Ann laughed. “Tea would be great.” **  
**  
  



	3. Made With Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie have a heart-to-heart. Ben makes dinner.

Leslie woke up slowly, and quickly realised that she wasn’t lying on Ben’s lap anymore. She could just tell. Then she started to tune in the conversation, and could hear the quiet, melodical notes of a woman’s voice, just as she felt a soft hand in her hair, rhythmically stroking up and down, and Leslie realised whose lap she was in.  
It was distant, but then she heard Ben’s voice. And she loved his voice so much. It was deep, but it was secure and gentle. She felt a wave of calm.

“…stay for dinner?” Ben was asking. “I can probably whip up some pasta.”  
“That’d be lovely,” Ann replied, then paused to chuckle. “I’d have thought you would want to serve some calzones.”  
Ben laughed. “Don’t tempt me. I have many, _many_ recipes to choose from.”  
Leslie heard him move to stand up, and she knew what was coming. The cookbook.  
“In fact, I have a cookbook. I’ll go and grab it and you can have a look.”  
Ann let out a long breath once he was gone and cursed under her breath. “I’m sorry I asked.”  
Leslie felt so ill- she needed some more water and her head felt like it was on fire, but she felt so safe and warm that she didn’t want to move.  
That didn’t last long though. After a few minutes, it got so bad that she had to let out a groan, and then Ann stopped stroking her hair.

“Leslie?” she whispered. “Are you awake?”  
“Mhm,” Leslie managed. “Hi Ann.”  
“Hey,” Ann said softly. “Are you okay?”  
“No.”  
“Feel the same? Or worse?”  
Leslie just groaned again, so Ann helped her sit up. Leslie noticed the way that her arm stayed around her back, just in case. She loved Ann. Did Ann know that?”  
“Of course I know. I love you too.”  
Leslie didn’t realise she had asked that out loud. Ann chuckled softly.  
“I know.”  
Dammit, she did it again. Ann reached out to grab her water and handed it to her. Leslie accepted it gratefully, downing the whole thing. She knew Ann was looking at her with worry.  
“What’s up?” she asked, and Ann sighed.  
“You feel a little warmer. If it gets too high, we might have to go to the hospital.”  
“Noted,” Leslie replied. “At this rate I wouldn’t even care. Give me the time off work, I don’t care.”  
“That bad, huh?” Ann asked sympathetically. “You don’t usually…”  
“I know. Ben said that before.”

Before Ann could reply, Ben was back.  
“I got the book, I- oh, hi honey! How are you feeling?””  
Leslie smiled at him weakly, and Ann answered for her. “We’re not sure. But if her fever gets too high, we need to admit her.”  
Ben nodded. “Well, okay. That makes sense.” He let out a long breath.  
“It’ll be fine, babe,” Leslie told him. “Besides, I have you two with me. I’m in good hands.”  
Ben smiled. Seeing Ben smile made Leslie feel like everything was okay again.  
“Are you making dinner?” she asked. "I know this sounds insane, but I don't want waffles. If I eat them now, they might be ruined forever."  
"That's... not great..."  
"No, it's fine! Really. What are you making?"   
“It's a _surprise!"_ Ben told her with a wink. "I thought I would make something special, since Ann’s staying a while.” He grinned at her, before retreating into the kitchen to carry on with the meal. Leslie had to admire his butt as he left before turning to Ann.  
“You are?” Leslie asked her, and Ann smiled.  
“Of course I am.”

Leslie sighed happily. “Okay, good.” Then she frowned. “I need the bathroom, but I don’t know if I can stand up.”  
“Hey, I’ll help you,” Ann said quickly.  
Ann helped her up with practiced hands. Leslie had forgotten she was a nurse. But she was a good nurse- in fact, she was the _best_ nurse, because she was the best at everything.  
“That’s nice you think that, Les,” Ann commented absent-mindedly as they started to walk slowly towards the bathroom.  
“I keep saying my thoughts out loud,” Leslie groaned. “My brain isn’t working.”  
“That’s okay,” Ann replied. “Just don’t think anything bad and we’ll be fine.”  
“I never could- not about you. Or Ben.”  
“So his calzones are edible?” Ann asked. “Because I think we’re eating that later.” Ann paused. "Sorry, I don't know if that was meant to be a surprise."  
Leslie chuckled. "I won't tell him that you told me. He's obsessed with them. I think he's been trying new recipe ideas..."  
Ann laughed. “This is _filling_ me with confidence.”  
"Was that an _ingredients pun_?"   
"Always sharp, Knope."

***

Leslie told Ann to wait outside the bathroom. She had lost a lot of dignity today- she would do whatever she could to preserve the last of it.  
Staring at herself in the mirror, she realised what they had been saying. She looked gross.  
While her vision was a little unfocused around the edges, she could _clearly_ see that she looked like crap. Utter crap.  
Leslie turned and dried her hands, but then she felt that wave of dizziness again. She took a second to lean against the wall, but it wouldn’t pass.

“Ann?” she called out. She can’t have done at all loudly, but then Ann was there, like the beautiful stallion that she was.  
“You okay?” Ann asked, worried.  
“I’m dizzy as hell,” Leslie managed. “This reminds me of when Tom dared me to try out the play area in the park. Andy pushes way too fast.”  
Ann put her hand on Leslie’s back, keeping her in place. “Do you think you can walk back to the couch?” Leslie shook her head, and she felt Ann hesitate. “Okay, we’ll just stand here. This is fine.”

Leslie still had her head against the wall. It felt like her hearing was coming and going. She vaguely wondered if she had passed out again, because then Ann’s voice was at her ear.  
“I think we need to sit you down, Les.”  
“Okay,” Leslie replied. “Full disclosure, if I open my eyes, I’ll probably throw up.” She paused. “Not because of you.”  
“I know,” Ann replied. “You think I’m a musk ox.”  
Ann guided Leslie to the closed toilet seat and lowered her onto it. She told her to put her head between her legs, which she did, and it made her feel a little better. But then it felt worse again, and she couldn’t tell if she had passed out _again_ but her hearing went and then all of a sudden Ann’s hands were on her, like she had teleported, and she was whispering comforting words. 

“Are you with me?” she was asking.  
Leslie nodded. “I am. Ugh, I’m sorry Ann.”  
“We might need to take you to the hospital,” Ann murmured.  
“Can we see how I am after I’ve eaten?” Leslie asked. “And if I’m still bad, then okay. I just think, well… I could take more aspirin and then eat, and then…”  
She trailed off, and Ann knelt down to her level, looking at her intensely. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Leslie. If you’re sick, then you’re sick. You don’t have to hide it by going into work or feel bad about it.”  
“I still do though,” Leslie grumbled. “I’m meant to be a problem solver, not a problem causer.”  
Ann grabbed her hand. “Nobody here thinks you’re any less of a person for being sick. I know how your brain works.”  
Leslie sighed. “If it’s the right thing to do, then I’ll do it. It’s not like this morning.”  
Ann smiled at her. “Good. You look a little better. Has the dizziness stopped?"  
Leslie nodded. "Sure has."  
"Alright. Should we get you back to the couch and get some food in you?”  
Leslie smiled back. “Yes please.”  
"And you'll tell me the second you feel worse?"  
"Of course."  
Ann moved to stand, but then Leslie was squeezing her hand. "Hey- thank you, Ann. I love you."  
Ann smiled widely. "I love you too."

***

They got back to the couch without any issues. Leslie had another aspirin and a drink, and she felt a little better. Ann told her she was just going to speak to Ben, and she nodded to her.  
Ann disappeared, and Leslie knew she was telling Ben about what happened in the bathroom.  
She didn’t mind- if he knew her celebrity sex list then he could know about that minor incident.  
She just hated not being at one hundred percent. She _liked_ being at one hundred percent- that was how she got things done. But right now she was at about a forty-five, and that just wouldn’t do.  
She would have to grin and bear whatever it took to make her feel better. Even if that meant the hospital, or-

“Calzones are ready!” Ben announced in a sing-song voice as he entered the room with a plate. Ann was behind him, grimacing, but when he turned to grin at her she grinned back.  
Leslie almost laughed but managed to hold it together when he set the plate in front of her, looking like the happiest puppy in the universe.  
To be fair, they smelled amazing.  
Ben sat next to her and Ann sat in the chair. Each of them took one, and Leslie noticed her appetite had kicked in. Were calzones magic? Was this the answer she had been looking for her whole life?  
She took a bite, and it tasted incredible. She hadn't needed to turn down waffles for the cause after all. Man, these were good.

_Wait... were calzones better than waffles?_

Oh god, she must _really_ be sick. That was changing her whole _belief system!_  
Ben looked at her expectantly. “Taste good?”  
Leslie grinned, happy she could answer honestly. “Sure do!”  
“That’s great! They were _made with love_!” Ben smiled a soppy smile at her, but then jolted and turned to Ann. “Oh, and so were yours obviously. But a- a _friendly_ love-”  
“You didn’t need to elaborate, Ben. I _friendly_ love you too.”  
Leslie laughed loudly, then. So did Ben, and Ann rolled her eyes fondly. 

She already felt a little better. Maybe it wasn’t the calzones- maybe it was because they were made by Ben.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben is such a babe honestly


	4. Absolutely Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Ann talk. Leslie thinks the wrong thing.

After dinner, Leslie felt the tiredness creeping in. Ann was constantly checking to see if she got worse, but after about half an hour of her being the same, Leslie said she wanted to go to bed, even though it was early.  
“I hope none of you judge me, but I need to,” she said. “I think I just need to sleep it off.”  
“Nobody’s judging you,” Ben reminded her. “You’re ill.”  
“Take a drink and some medicine in with you,” Ann replied in her nurse voice, putting her hand on Leslie's shoulder.   
Leslie knew Ann was serious about taking her to hospital if things got worse. And she didn’t even disagree, she just hoped it wouldn’t come to that. But she would if she needed to.  
“And keep the door open and yell if you need anything!” Ben added, before faltering. “Actually, don’t yell. Your throat is already sore- forget I said that.”  
Leslie smiled and kissed him. “I’ll take my megaphone up with me and use it if I have to.”  
“You just… have a megaphone?” Ann asked, chuckling.  
“I have seven,” Leslie replied. “One for every day of the week.”  
“She’s kidding,” Ben laughed. “Wait. You _are_ kidding, right?”  
Leslie grinned. “Of course! I’ll just call if I need something.”

***

After Ann and Ben had helped Leslie to bed, they settled back downstairs. Ben opted to put on some television, but after about half an hour of idle conversation, he saw Ann glance at her watch.  
“Do you want to stay a while?” Ben asked. “You can sleep over if you want.”  
“Yeah I think I will,” Ann replied. “Are you alright?”  
“I’m glad you’re staying,” Ben admitted. “I feel totally out of depth with this stuff. I love her more than anything in the world, but I just really struggle to know what to do in these situations. You said she had a moment in the bathroom as well- I wouldn’t have known what to do-”  
“Well I’m trained in this stuff,” Ann replied with a small shrug. “It can be daunting, especially when it’s someone you care about.”  
“Can you… I don’t know. Teach me?”  
Ann laughed. “Teach you what? Nursing?”  
“No- I just wish I knew more about what to do in those situations.”  
“Well, if you remember, I couldn’t convince Leslie to go home either.”  
“I know.” Ben sighed softly. “I just wish I could do more for her in situations like this. It’s infuriating. I mean, I think about it all the time. It just really pisses me off.”  
“I know, I feel like that too,” Ann replied. “Especially when she’s like this.”  
Ben sighed again. He loved his wife so much. “I just want to make all of her pain stop all the time, is that too much to ask?”  
Ann smiled sadly. “Maybe a little. But all we can do is be there for her, right?”  
Ben nodded. “Right.”

***

Leslie woke up after what can only have been half an hour of sleep. She felt sluggish, and she realised that her fever had gone up again. Reaching for the glass of water, she downed it with some more medicine, blinking tiredly. If only she could just sleep and wake up fine.   
Her head was aching, and she needed more water. She forced herself to sit up and listened out to see if Ann was still here. That was when she heard her name being mentioned downstairs.  
Shuffling over to the door, ignoring her thumping head and hazy vision, she headed onto the landing and listened out for what they were saying.

She could hear Ben’s voice, directly after she heard her name being mentioned.  
 _“It’s infuriating. I mean, I think about it all the time. It just really pisses me off.”  
_ Leslie felt her heart racing. Was he talking about her? About her not going into work? Or maybe he was annoyed that she was sick. She had taken up all his time today- she had irritated him when she didn’t go home, and now he was sick of her. _  
“I know.”_ Ann’s voice. _“I feel like that too. Especially when she’s like this.”  
_ Leslie backed slowly into the bedroom and sat on the bed, feeling tears prickling in her eyes.   
Ann was annoyed at her as well- they were both annoyed. Why wouldn’t they be? She had ignored their advice and gone into work, and now she was ill, and they were lumped with looking after her.   
Leslie didn’t realise her breathing had gotten shaky until she couldn’t breathe properly, and was left gasping on her bed. She had a splitting headache- she felt _terrible-_ so she put her head in her hands, sobbing.

***

Ann thought that Ben must have had a sixth sense, because all of a sudden his ears were pricking up and he jumped off the couch.   
“Something’s up,” he said simply, and turned to run up the stairs. Ann followed him, and they quickly found Leslie crying on the bed and struggling to breathe. It was a sight to break anyone's heart, but especially theirs.  
“What’s wrong? Hey, hey,” Ben was saying in a soothing voice. He felt her forehead and looked at Ann, who did the same.  
“Honey, I think we need to get you to the hospital,” Ann said, but Leslie wasn’t listening.   
“I’m s-sorry,” she forced out. Ben and Ann looked at each other.   
“What? Why?”  
“You’re angry at me,” she managed, still gasping.   
“Okay,” Ann said slowly. “Look at me. See what I’m doing? Deep breaths.”  
Leslie was struggling to copy her, so Ben joined in, and soon they had managed to calm her down enough to talk to her.

“We’re not angry,” Ann said gently, a little confused. “Why did you think we were angry?”  
Leslie shrugged. “I heard you talking downstairs, I thought-”  
Ben quickly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him. “Oh, honey, of course we’re not angry. We just wish we could do more to help you.”  
Leslie was crying again, and Ben was hugging her, so Ann took the time to disappear and get something cold for her head. When she returned, Leslie was leaning on Ben with a small smile on her face, finally calm. Ann put the cold cloth on her head carefully.   
"Is that okay sweetie?" she asked softly, and Leslie hummed in appreciation. Ann looked at Ben.  
"What's the plan?" he asked her quietly.  
“We need to get her to the hospital,” she told him. “The fever isn’t going.”  
“Okay,” Ben said, his voice nervous. He looked down at Leslie. “We’re taking you the hospital, okay?”  
Leslie groaned. “Okay. Ugh, I’m so sorry you guys.”  
“Don’t say sorry,” they both said at the same time, and then Ann and Ben looked at each other, slightly amused.   
“Okay,” Leslie sighed. “Okay, let’s go.”  
 _  
_***

All too soon, Ben and Ann were in a hospital room. It had been a quick journey, with Ben driving and Leslie and Ann in the back. Leslie had spoken a few times in the car, which was a good sign, but Ann knew it was the right decision.  
Now Leslie was asleep in the bed, now with an IV and looking a little better. Ben seemed really wound up, but Ann assured him that it was okay.  
“She’s in the right place now,” she told him, looking from Leslie to him. “She’ll be fine.”  
“I know,” Ben told her. “I just… god, she was really upset.”  
“Yeah,” Ann replied sadly. “But I’ll tell you what, you did a good job of calming her down.” She smiled slightly. “You did everything right."  
"I did?"  
"You did. We could make a nurse out of you yet, Wyatt.”  
Ben smiled back. “Thanks, Ann. You’ve been a godsend.”  
“I’d do anything for her,” Ann replied simply, looking back at Leslie, who was sleeping peacefully. She took her hand and squeezed it, then looked back to Ben.  
“I would too,” he said. “Absolutely anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading :))


	5. Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie is out of the woods now.

Ben and Ann both stayed overnight, and the next day, he set about telling their friends what had happened. They were all in a group chat, which was lucky, and he briefly explained that Leslie had had to spend the night in hospital but that she was on the mend. Everybody had sent their love, and Ben knew Leslie would relish reading the messages when she woke up.

The only person who wasn’t in the group chat was Ron, but Ben had his number. Ron had told him it was only for emergencies, and technically the danger had passed now. Ben let out a sigh.  
“Just call him,” Ann told Ben. “He would want to know.”  
“I know,” Ben replied, before looking at Leslie, who was still asleep. “Okay, I’ll do it now.”  
“Alright,” Ann said, giving him a smile as he stood. “April and Andy want to come visit, should I let them?”  
Ben hesitated. The doctor hadn’t said anything about a maximum number of visitors. They were in a private room, too, so it wasn’t like their unruly friends would disturb the other patients. Ben just sometimes felt like he had to constantly keep an eye on them when they were somewhere like this, and he had enough on his plate already. But Leslie would want them here.  
“Okay,” he breathed. “Yeah, sure.”  
Ann smirked. “I know that face, and I agree. But we should. I’ll let them know.”  
“Yeah. Okay, I’m going to call Ron.”

***

Ben had to wait a good ten seconds before Ron picked up.  
_“Wyatt.”  
_“Hey, Ron, I’m sorry to bother you on a Saturday morning, but Leslie has had to stay overnight in hospital.”  
_“What happened?”_ Ron asked him, worry evident in his voice. Ben briefly explained the events of the previous day. Ron grunted when he finished. _“That does sound bad. You did the right thing, son.”  
_“Thanks, Ron," Ben said gratefully. "I know you don’t like visiting people in hospital, but maybe you could come round when she’s home? I don’t think she’ll be here too long, she’s doing a lot better already.” He paused. “I mean, she hasn’t woken up yet, but her vitals are better and stuff.”  
_“I will visit your residence when you get home. I don’t want to get in the way.”  
_"You never could, Ron. But it might be a bit crowded, so that's probably a good idea."  
_"Agreed. Look after her."  
_Ben thanked him, and soon he hung up.  
When he returned to the room, Ann told him that April and Andy were on their way.  
“She’s not even awake, will she want a load of people here?” Ben asked, stressed. He was sort of glad Ron had opted not to come.  
Ann glanced at Leslie. “I mean, she loves her friends more than work, so…”  
“I know, it’s just…”  
“Ben,” Ann said firmly but kindly. “It’ll be fine.”

***

_“So, Ann. You look tired.”  
“Well, April, I slept overnight in a hospital, so…”  
“It suits you. I quite like it. You look like a demon.”  
“This is a fun conversation.”_

Leslie felt like she was floating. Her head barely ached now, but the cost of that was that she felt like she was lying _above_ a bed rather than in it. As she woke up, her limbs felt heavier, but she no longer felt a raging fire in her skull. She was slightly cool, and much more comfortable.

_“She looks dead.”  
“She isn’t dead, Andy.”  
“Are you sure? Should I poke her?”  
“Please don’t- oh, you did it anyway. Okay. Cool.”_

Leslie blinked awake. The first thing she saw when her vision came into focus was Andy Dwyer’s face inches away from hers. She hummed in quiet surprise.  
“Oh my god,” he whispered. “It worked! You’re awake! Hi Leslie!”  
Ben groaned from behind her, and Leslie had to smile.  
“Hey Andy,” Leslie murmured. She turned her head slightly and saw Ben, Ann and April sat a little further back, each of them smiling. “Hey guys.”  
“Hi honey,” Ben replied softly, looking like he was _rather_ stressed. But he smiled at her and leaned over to give her a kiss, which was as sweet as always. “How are you feeling?”  
“Much better,” she replied tiredly. “You guys stayed?”  
“Of course we did,” Ann cut in. “We love you.”  
“I love you too,” Leslie said instantly, making them all chuckle.  
“Everyone on the group chat has been sending messages for you,” April told her. “It’s really gross.”  
“Okay,” Leslie said, sitting up. “Well, obviously I have to read them all immediately.”

***

After a few hours, Leslie was told by the doctors that she could leave. It had definitely been the right thing to do, her stay overnight had done her wonders, and while she still felt drained and a little dizzy at times, the fever had broken.  
This made Ben and Ann incredibly relieved. Ann was a trained nurse, so she knew that everything would be fine, but Ben had been so worried he hadn’t known what the outcome would be. No amount of Ann convincing him was enough- he had had to see it for himself. And now Leslie was looking at him from the bed with bright eyes, and he finally felt better.

April and Andy had gone home, promising to visit the next day. Leslie had definitely perked up after seeing her friends and Ben was glad that they were there, even if they were quite annoying to be around at times.  
“Andy kept messing with the blinds,” Ben told Leslie as he helped her get dressed and ready to leave. Ann had left the room briefly, so it was just the two of them.  
“He’s a curious guy,” Leslie replied with a laugh. “It was really nice to wake up and have you all there.”  
Ben smiled at her. “I’m glad.”  
Leslie moved over to hug him, and Ben squeezed her tightly, relishing how she leant against him.  
“I love you so much,” he whispered.  
“I love you too,” Leslie answered. “I’m sorry about what happened.”  
“It’s alright,” Ben told her. “Honestly, it is. I’m just glad you’re okay.”  
Leslie sighed happily. “When we get home I want to lie on the couch all weekend.”  
Ben looked at her in surprise. “You do?”  
“I do,” Leslie said. “Well. Maybe with a work binder or two by my side... okay, I'm seeing your expression and I'm agreeing with you. We can just watch loads of movies."  
"Ron is coming over later as well, remember. And I don't think Ann is leaving just yet either."  
"Friends and movies and relaxing. That sounds pretty good.”  
Ben laughed. “That sounds perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probs one more chapter to go after this!


	6. In Good Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are much better. Ann and Ron come to the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone who left a lovely comment on this fic, you know who you are!! much love always <33

Ben and Leslie dropped Ann home so she could shower, but she promised she was coming right back when she was done.  
“I love you Ann!” Leslie called from the car as they drove away, and Ann was happy to see some of her energy had returned. It was so much better than seeing her crying on her bed- that was an image Ann would struggle to forget.  
When she got back to the house, Ben answered the door with a tired smile and a lowered voice. Ann quickly realised that Leslie was asleep on the sofa, and she had to smile.  
“Have you had a nap?” Ann asked Ben. “I’m used to pretty much no sleep because of my job, but you’re not.”  
Ben chose that exact moment to yawn onto the back of his hand, and the two of them chuckled.  
“Maybe I should catch some sleep,” he mumbled. “Are you okay down here if I…?”  
“Yeah of course,” Ann replied with a smile. “I know where the fridge is so I can raid all your food.”  
“After years of Leslie doing that to you, I can’t exactly deny you that.”

***

Ann was dozing off herself around two hours later. The TV volume had been on low- she had been staring at a cooking show for the past hour wondering how it was that they made such good salad. She was then surprised a show involving salad made it onto a Pawnee TV network when there was a polite knock at the door.  
Leslie stirred slightly in her sleep but didn’t wake up. Ann clambered off the chair and over to the door. When she opened it, Ron was there. He looked at her in surprise.  
“Oh. Hello.”  
“Hey Ron.” Ann craned her neck and saw he was carrying a bag. He coughed awkwardly.  
“I brought supplies.”  
“You can come on in- they’re both asleep.” Ann shut the door as Ron wiped his feet on the mat. For someone who was gruff and unforgiving at times, he really knew house etiquette.  
“They?” he asked.  
“Ben was really tired, he barely slept last night. I’m used to it.” Ron looked at her, so she felt the need to elaborate. “I’m a nurse.”  
“Oh. Of course.” Ron walked past her and into the living room, looking at Leslie. “How’s she doing?” he asked quietly.  
“Much better. Last night was pretty bad, as you know. It got quite rough at times.”  
Ron didn’t say anything, and Ann almost reached out to rub his shoulder comfortingly when he seemed to snap out of it, before heading to the kitchen. “I’m going to eat all their eggs. Do you want many eggs?”  
Okay, maybe he _didn’t_ know house etiquette. But he _was_ good at making eggs.  
“Sure, why not.”

***

Ben hurried into the kitchen, bleary eyed, just as Ann and Ron finished a plate of eggs.  
“Sorry, sorry,” he exclaimed tiredly, yawning. “I heard the door in my sleep. It took me a second to wake up properly. Enough time for you to eat all our eggs, I see.”  
“So not long at all, son,” Ron said with a chuckle.  
“Is this bag for Leslie?” Ben asked, inspecting the contents. “Aw, you got some snacks and drinks, that’s nice.”  
“Food is fuel,” Ron replied, and Ben nodded.  
“That’s very generous, Ron, thank you.”  
Ron just grunted as he finished his eggs, and Ann tried not to laugh. It really was quite funny watching those two interact- they were on opposite ends of a spectrum, really. _Very_ occasionally their interests overlapped, but it was rare. They both cut government funding, but Ben cut it out of necessity; Ron saw it as fun. Very different people.

When they went back into the living room, Leslie was sitting up and smiling tiredly at them all.  
“Ron’s here!” she said softly, her smile getting wider. Ann glanced at Ron, who she saw was smiling too. Then she saw Ben was smiling, and it occurred to her that maybe Ben and Ron were a Venn Diagram, and the middle was “caring about Leslie more than anyone else.” Ann liked to think she was on there too.  
She smiled to herself as she sat on the edge of the sofa. Leslie moved her legs, but then Ann was heaving them onto her own lap. Leslie laughed.  
“You don’t mind?”  
“Of course not.”  
The four of them sat there, and Leslie was radiating happiness. It was crazy how much difference one night made.   
“How are you feeling, Knope?” Ron asked her. “I brought sustenance.”  
“Oooh!” Leslie squealed, reaching into the bag excitedly. “Ron, you’re too good to me. You all are. I feel sort of bad.”  
“You _constantly_ do things for us,” Ben reminded her. “Just… let this happen.”  
“Okay, fine,” Leslie snipped, a cheeky grin on her face. “I _guess_ I will _allow_ you guys to be nice to me for the next few days.” Leslie lay back on the couch tiredly. “I gotta say, I’m wiped out.”  
“Well you were pretty unwell, babe,” Ben said. “It might take a few days.”  
Leslie sighed. “I know.”  
“But you’ve made loads of progress,” Ann reminded her, patting her leg.  
“It’s all thanks to you guys. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead at work probably.”  
Ben winced, Ron frowned.   
“Don’t say that,” Ann scolded gently.  
“Fainting onto you both was bad enough- I won’t let it get that bad again,” Leslie promised. “I’m serious.”  
“We know,” Ann and Ben said simultaneously, right as Ron muttered under his breath.  
“What was that Ron?” Leslie asked. Ron didn't answer, and Ben chuckled.  
“I think he said _you’d better not_.”  
Ron just snorted, prompting both the girls to laugh loudly.

***

After a few hours, Ben brought Leslie a cup of tea as she was dropping off, and Ann and Ron felt it was okay to leave.  
“Are you coming back tomorrow?” Leslie asked quietly, and Ann felt a tug of affection. It would be weird to leave her, since they had spent so long together the past few days, and especially since Leslie wasn’t fully better just yet, but Ann could see she was in good hands with Ben.  
“Of course I’ll come back tomorrow,” Ann promised. “I love you.”  
“I love you too. So much. Make sure you get a lot of sleep tonight because I’ve taken up a lot of your time-”  
“Okay, I will.”  
“-and eat lots and drink lots and... and thank you.”  
Ann leaned down to hug her, squeezing her tightly. “You’ve thanked me like a thousand times, Leslie.”  
“I know, but I mean it!”  
Ann laughed. “I know you do.”  
When Ann stood up, Ron was standing awkwardly behind her. He coughed, before moving to pat Leslie’s shoulder.  
“I will have to come back tomorrow with extra supplies,” he commented. “That bag may not last until tomorrow.”  
Leslie looked at the full bag, and then looked at him with a soft smile on her face. “You’re welcome back tomorrow. Any time.”  
Ron smiled back, and Ann felt another tug of affection. Maybe she _was_ tired, because another few minutes with these soft people and she might just start crying.  
“We love you, Leslie,” Ann said as she and Ron walked to the door.  
“I didn’t say that,” Ron cut in, which prompted Ann to roll her eyes.  
“Yeah, alright,” she muttered under her breath. “Sure.”  
“I love you both too!” Leslie called from the living room. “You’re my best friends in the world!”  
Ann snorted when Ron fumbled awkwardly.

Ben stood by the door with them, and Ann found herself hugging him. It felt like over the past few days they had gotten much closer, and Ann felt a newfound respect for him. Not that she didn’t like him before, but she was glad they had had this time to bond.  
“Thanks for everything,” Ben said with a wide grin.  
“Any time. I love her so much.”  
_“I love you too!”_ Leslie called again from the living room, and Ann rolled her eyes and lowered her voice.  
“I’m glad I was here. If you need anything-”  
“-I’ll let you know. And you too Ron, don’t worry.”  
“I wasn’t worried,” Ron cut in gruffly.  
“Okay, well... Have a good evening carving wood or- or whatever you have planned. And Ann, get some sleep.”  
“Yes boss,” Ann said with a mock salute. She and Ron stepped out of the door. Ann waved goodbye to Ben and Ron. When she got into her car, she felt happy. The worry was more or less gone now. She could go home and sleep. Leslie was in good hands.

***

“Are you ready for bed, babe?”  
“I’ve been sleeping for _so long_.”  
“But…”  
“But yes. I am.”  
Ben laughed. “Do you want me to carry you upstairs?”  
Leslie looked at him coyly. “ _Oh?_ ”  
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, babe.”  
“Well then I will absolutely take it, Mr. Wyatt.”  
“Are you _last-naming_ me?”  
“Mr. Babe Wyatt.”  
Ben laughed again, before scooping her up easily. He relished how her head nestled into his neck as he carried her up the stairs. She relished his familiar smell. They were each other’s comfort.

When they got to the bedroom he placed her carefully on the bed.  
“I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”  
“Me too. I can’t thank you guys enough.”  
“It’s been pretty scary,” Ben admitted. "I was so worried and at times, a little lost." Leslie’s face softened.  
“Aw, honey…”  
“I’m okay, I am. Seeing you feeling better is enough for me.”  
“If you need to talk about it, you can."  
“I know,” Ben said with a smile. “And maybe we will. But for now, let’s sleep. I’m really tired.”  
They both yawned at the same time, which made them both laugh.  
“I love you so much,” Leslie told him, leaning over to give him a kiss.  
“I love you too. If you need anything, let me know?”  
“I will," she told him. "But to be honest, I think I’ve got everything I need."

They fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, and everything was okay again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any prompts give me a shout

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)


End file.
